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Explore a New Place

Fresh sights and sounds can broaden your perspective and keep you engaged

By

Staying Sharp

Updated April 21, 2023

Updated April 21, 2023

A fisherman paddling a canoe in a mountain lake

Ascent Xmedia/Getty Images

Quick Win

Break out of your usual routine and check out a local event, new eatery or green space. Adventure solo or with a friend!

Try This Today

Scan the paper and online groups for announcements about lectures, book readings or performances.
Visit a restaurant, diner or café you haven’t been to. Bonus points: Try an unfamiliar cuisine.
Venture out to a new-to-you hiking trail, park or arboretum. Enjoy the fresh air and natural beauty.

Why

There may be truth to the saying that variety is the spice of life. New environments expose you to a range of people, activities, sights and sounds. They also infuse your routines with an array of experiences that may enhance happiness, suggests a 2020 report in Nature Neuroscience on 132 young adults whose movements around town, and moods, were tracked for several months. Homebodies take note: Simply leaving the house daily was linked to a lower risk of premature death in a study of more than 3,000 adults ages 70 to 95 reported in 2017 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. While the reasons for the link between excursions and longevity are not clear, researchers note that “continued exposure and interaction with the world” reinforces positive aspects of aging.

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Legal Disclaimer: Staying Sharp, including all content and features, is offered for informational purposes and to educate users on brain health care and medical issues that may affect their daily lives. Staying Sharp is based on a holistic, lifestyle approach to brain health that encourages users to incorporate into their daily lives activities that are associated with general wellness. Nothing in the service should be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Features including the Cognitive Assessment and Lifestyle Check-Ins, Additional Tests, exercises, and challenges assess performance at a particular moment in time on certain discrete cognitive tasks. Staying Sharp games are intended for entertainment and recreational purposes only. Various factors may affect performance, including sleep, tiredness, focus, and other social, environmental, or emotional factors. Performance is not indicative of cognitive health and not predictive of future performance or medical conditions.

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